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33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14S80 

(716)  872-4503 


B'< 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  canadiim  de  microreproductions  historiques 


^ 


i 


©1987 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


I'he  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming    Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
rhe  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


L'Institut  a  microfilme  le  meillaur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  ets  possible  de  se  rirocurer    Les  details 
de  cat  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-^tre  uniques  du 
poinv  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
una  image  reproduite.  ou  lui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m^thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu^s  ci-dessous. 


□    Coloured  covers/ 
Couvarture  de  coulaur 

□    Covers  damaged/ 
Couvnrture  endornmagee 


□    Cove 
Couvarture  restaur^a  at/ou  pallicul^a 


D 


n 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couvarture  restaur^f 

Cover  title  mis:/  ig/ 


□    Cover  title  mis:/  ig/ 
Le  titre  de  couvarture 


D 


manque 


□    Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  gAographiquas  an  coulaur 


ni^ 


Coloured  ink  lie.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
era  da  coulaur  li.a.  autre  qua  bleue  ou  noire) 


□    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  coulaur 

E    Bound  with  other  material/ 
RaliA  avac  d'autres  documents 


Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

Lareliure  ssrree  peut  causer  de  I'ombra  ou  da  la 
distorsion  le  long  de  la  marge  interieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout^es 
lors  dune  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  taxta, 
mais.  lorsqua  cela  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  iti  film^es. 

Additional  comments  / 
Commentairas  suppl^mentairas- 


D 


D 


n 


n 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 


l~~n    Pages  damaged/ 


Pages  endommagees 


Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurees  et/ou  pelliculetss 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d^coloreas.  tachet^es  ou  piquees 

Pages  detachet]/ 
Pagds  detachbes 


HShowthrough/ 
Transparence 

□    Quality  of  print  varie 
Qualite  in^gale  de  I'i 


as/ 
mprassion 


□    Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaira 

□    Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc..  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure. 
etc.,  cnt  m  fiim^es  i  nouveau  de  facon  a 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  rsitio  checked  below/ 

Ca  document  est  filmA  au  taux  da  reduction  indiqu^  ci-dessous. 


10X                                 14X 

18X 

22X 

26X                             30X 

!                !               I        I 

1 

1          ^ 

II                 II! 

12X 


1«X 


20X 


24X 


2IX 


32X 


Th«  copy  filmed  h«r«  has  b««n  reproduced  thanks 
to  tha  ganaroaity  of: 

University  of  British  Columbia  Library 


L'axamplaira  film*  fut  ranroduit  grAca  A  la 
gAnirosit*  da: 

University  of  British  Columbia  Library 


Tha  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Las  images  suivantos  ont  AtA  reproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nattetA  de  Taxemplaira  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impraa- 
sion,  or  tha  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  «re  filmed  beginning  on  tha 
first  paia  with  a  printed  or  ilkistrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papier  est  imprimAe  sent  filmAs  en  commengant 
par  la  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commandant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impretsion  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  iast  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  —^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  dos  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
derniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — »-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  et 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  dee  taux  de  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  !e  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  film6  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  inAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1  2  3 

4  5  6 


y 


:ii 


SPEECH 


ov 


HON.  CHARLES  H.  ALLEN, 


IN  THR 


HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES, 


Thursday,  March  29, 1888, 


ON 


THE  RECENT  POSTAL  TRP^ATY  WITH  CANADA.  SHOWING 

ITS   DISCRIMINATION  AGAINST  AMERICAN  FARMERS 

AND    MERCHANTS,    AND    ITS    IMPAIRMENT    OF 

THE  UNITED  aTATiiS  POSTAL  REVENUES. 


WASHINGTON, 

1888. 


L  .».i , ^ HI ii- 


SPEECH 


HON.     CH  MILKS     H.     ALLEN, 

OF    MASSACHUSETTS, 

la  IHE  House  of  Eepueseni  atives, 

Thursday,  March  29,  1887, 

On  the  recent  poMnl  treaty  with  Caiiadii,  sliowinjj  its  dinorimination  apninst 
AniuricHii  farujers  uiiil  lueiuliuiitM,  and  its  iiupairiuLiit  uftliu  United  States 
postal  revenues — 

Mr.  ALLEN,  of  Masssichusetts,  said: 

Mr.  Speakkr:  I  have  been  lor  some  time  a  member  of  this  body, 
and  dnring  that  period  I  have  witnessed  many  strange  transactions 
here,  but  the  spectacle  of  a  majority  of  a  leading  committee  of  this 
House  coming  before  this  body  with  an  adverse  report  on  a  request  for 
ofSclal  information  from  the  head  of  a  great  Department  of  this  Gov- 
ernment, and  asV-'ng  this  Honse  to  sustain  them  in  sending  the  minority 
to  seek  for  information  to  tlie  newspapers  as  the  of^cial  sonrce  of  that 
information,  is  a  spectacle,  1  take  it,  unequaled  in  Federal  legislation. 

This  resolution,  Mr.  Speaker,  si  mply  calls  for  specific  information 
from  the  head  of  the  Post-OfBce  Department  respecting  a  certain  order 
alleged  to  have  been  issued  by  that  official,  directing  subordinate  offi- 
cers of  that  Department  to  mark  up  certain  articles  of  postage,  which 
have  been  mailed  by  citizens  of  the  United  States  in  Canada  under  the 
provisions  of  the  postal  treaty  of  IBS'?,  when  directed  to  inhabitants 
within  the  United  States.  That  is  all  there  is  to  it;  and  I  imagine  this 
House  will  not  authorize  any  adverse  report  on  any  such  request  for 
that  simple  information,  when  the  information  to  be  derived  will  bear 
upon  the  interests  of  thousands  of  patient  farmers  and  agriculturi.sts 
all  over  this  country,  who  are  seeking  to  know  what  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States  is  going  to  do  on  this  question. 

3 


Now.  such  a  decliii.ition  on  the  part  of  Coiinrdss  to  authorize  the 
calling  for  this  iulormation  would  very  proiMS.Iy  l»e  construed  by  the 
people,  who  have  the  right  to  kuow  the  reasous  for  the  action  of  their 
Represeutjitives  ou  all  such  niiitters,  .-w  <lue  to  either  one  of  two  reasona: 
one  a  desire  to  .MHiiplelely  ignore  the  wi.she-iof  the  min  irity  seeking  for 
inJbrmation,  and  this  would  be  neither  courteous  nor  just,  or  for  the 
purpa-se  of  shielding  some  incompetent  official  by  imitating  the  stra- 
tegic arts  of  the  ostrich  [laughter] ;  and  I  doubt  very  much  whether  the 
majority  cares  to  acknowledge  cither  of  these  puriMjses.  I  am  not  be- 
lieve the  Committee  ou  the  I'ost-OlHce  and  Post-Uoads,  composed,  as 
it  is.  of  level-headed  men,  cares  to  withhold  the  fuil  light,  on  any  of  the 
transactions  of  the  Post-OfTice  Department.  Their  evident  desire  to 
give  to  people  everywhere,  the  largest  possible  extension  of  postal  priv- 
ileges is  evidence  against  any  such  assumption  as  that;  so  that  I  am  at 
a  loss  to  understand  how  an  adverse  report  of  this  sort  gets  from  that 
committee  to  this  House. 

But,  sir,  thereare  re;i.soiis,  and  good  reasons,  why  every  member  of  this 
House  should  l>e  put  in  passession  of  thw  information  and  should  be  in 
full  possession  of  all  the  facts.  Let  me  state  a  little  more  specifically 
what  I  mean  by  that.  There  is  a  largo  proportion  of  our  people  who 
are  interested,  in  one  w.iy  or  another,  in  this  matter  of  cheap  postage. 
As  fiir  back  as  1873,  Congress  recognized  the  wisdom  of  giving  to  the 
farmers  of  this  land  reduced  postage  on  agricultural  seeds  and  plants, 
bulbs  and  cuttings,  and  authorized  the  passage  of  an  act  in  that  year 
placing  the  rate  of  those  articles  at  1  cent  for  every  2  ounces.  This 
was  further  rec.gnized  in  the  act  of  June,  1874,  and  the  farmers  en- 
joyed the  reduced  postage  until  the  legislation  of  1875,  when  the  rate 
was  put  at  1  cent  an  ounce.  From  that  time  to  this,  there  has  been 
continual  di-scussion  over  this  question  of  reduced  fxistage,  but  owing 
to  the  c>omparatively  unorganized  conditionof  the  farmers,  tljis  remedial 
legislation  has  never  been  effected. 

Rut  last  year  this  matter  was  taken  in  charge  by  the  National  Grange, 
and  in  November,  by  vote,  it  demanded  a  reduction. 

This  action  has  been  followed  by  the  .State  granges  of  Colorado.  Con- 
necticut, Delaware, Georgia,  Illinois,  Indiana.  Iowa,  Kansa.s,  Kentucky, 
Louisiana,  Maine,  Maryland,  Ma,<«achusetts,  Michigan,  Minnesota. 
Mississippi,  Nebraska,  New  Hampshire,  New  Jersey,  New  York,  Ncrth 


Carolina,  Ohio,  Pennsylvania.  Rhode  'Oand,  Scnth  Carolina,  Vprmont, 
Virginia,  and  VViHc-onsin,  at  their  auiiual  meetings,  since  the  National 
Grange  (twenty-eight  States). 

Thit;  rodncoa  ,<08tage  has  been  demanded,  also,  from  the  Farmers' 
AIlia.jje  of  the  Northwest.  incUidiug  Minne.sota,  Dakota,  Iowa,  Ne- 
bra.ska.  with  a  large  meniberwhip  in  adjoining  .;»ate8.  The  National 
FarnarH'  Ailiiiice  of  T..'Xi>.s,  i^oi-i.  ii.r.i,  Mifsiwipp;,  Alabama,  North 
Carolina,  Georgia,  Fiorida,  and  South  Carolina  have  also  joined  in  the 
movement.  The  National  Agricultural  Wheel,  a  [wwerful  organiza- 
tion in  Mis.souri.  Arkansis.  and  Tennessee,  hiw  voiced  similar  senti- 
ments thrnugh  its  liead.  Ti.'  .State  boards  of  agriculture  of  New  Jer- 
sey, Pennsylvania,  Veiniont,  Sew  Hampshire,  Maine,  and  several  other 
States,  together  with  ali:iost  innunerablt  other  State,  county,  and 
local  horticnltiir.il  .'.nd  ajiiicultural  societies,  lUs.uere'  clubs,  granges, 
alliances,  etc.,  have  voted  in  favor  of  this  object,  and  in  so  doing 
they  have  simply  rejire-icnted  the  wishes  of  the  ^reat  hcdy  of  people 
who  make  up  their  v;wt  membership. 

I  state  this,  Mr.  .Sp,-aher,  to  the  House,  t»  show  thflt  this  desire  for 
reduced  postage  does  not  come  Irouithe  seedsmen,  who  aienot  to  prolit 
by  that  reduction,  but  from  the  people  them-elvea,  wlio  make  up  in 
vast  numbers  the  organizations  of  the  character  wliich  I  have  men- 
tioned, and  who  pay  the  postage,  and  these  people  will  see  to  it,  that 
they  get  the  l)enelit  of  tlie  rethution. 

I  do  not  propose  to  stand  here  at  this  ■  tue,  sir,  to  discuss  the  merits 
of  a  bill  for  the  reduction  of  postage  on  seeds,  bulbs,  and  cuttings  from 
the  jiresent  rate  to  4  cents  a  i>.iiind,  but  I  trust  that  a  measure  of 
that  iiuportauce  and  niagiiituileXviil  receive  at  an  early  date  favorable 
action  in  this  body,  and  that  the  House  may  so  >u  liave  an. /i)p.)rt unity 
of  voting  uiwn  it.  I  come  now  to  the  consideration  of  the  question  pre- 
sented by  the  pendini;  re.solution  itself. 

Not  long  ago  the  honorable  Postmaster-General  of  the  United  States, 
tilled  with  a  desire  ofsignalizing  hi-;  administration  of  that  great  Depart- 
ment in  some  notable  way  possibly,  or  feeling  that,  ptrhaps,  his  name 
would  achieve  a  higher  notoriety  if  it  could  be  linked  with  some  great 
treaty,  which,  in  its  beneticial  resultswould  outlive  the  mere  transitory 
fame  which  comes  to  the  ordia;'ry  Cabinet  office.-,  and  being  tilled  with  a 
desire  to  emulate,  if  he  could  not  excel,  the  example  of  his  colleague, 


6 

the  head  of  the  Dei^rtment  of  State,  entered  into  neKotiutions  with  the 
English  Govuniiuent  as  repreiinted  in  the  Dominion  of  Cauiwia,  by 
which  he  was  willing  to  make  certain  conc«88ious  to  the  people  who 
dwell  in  that  beautifully  pictureaque  province,  by  which  tliey  were  to 
eiyoy  certain  posted  privileges  with  the  iieople  of  the  United  States, 
which  up  to  thin  tirae  had  been  denied  them.  Witb  this  patriotic  im- 
pulse in  mind,  the  Vilas  postal  treaty  with  Canada  was  conceived. 

The  time  of  approachint;  labor  drew  near;  the  nurses'  and  midwivea 
of  the  Department  were  ou  hand;  they  may  have  lacked  somewhat  in 
experience,  but  were  full  of  eutliusiiwin,  and  what  they  lacked  in  skill 
they  made  up  in  this  quality;  the  approaching  moment  of  labor  was 
at  hand;  it  drew  nearer  and  at  last  the  supreme  moment  arrived,  and 
amid  a;eneral  rejoiiiun  the  poor  little  postal  treaty  of  the  United  Slates 
of  Aniericii  and  the  Dominion  of  Canada  opened  its  little  weak,  watery 
eyes  up<m  acheerleas  and  inquisitive  world.     [Laughter  and  applause.  ] 

It  was  such  a  little  one,  Mr.  Speaker,  that  it  did  not  attract  very  much 
notice  at  the  time,  outside  of  the  immediate  family  [laughter],  and, 
unlike  Mr.  Dickens's  famous  character,  it  was  not  born  with  a  caul;  but 
it  had  a  protocol  upon  which  was  emblazoned  in  proper  heraldic  de- 
sif  ■  •    ^  full  genealo;jical  tree.     [Renewed  laughter.] 

This  -ateresting  event  happened  ou  the  2(>th  day  of  .Tanuary,  1888, 
and  ou  the  question  of  this  treaty,  hangs  the  whole  story  of  this  reso- 
lution. 

Now,  what  were  the  terms  of  this  most  remarkable  treaty,  and  what 
were  the  benelits  the  people  of  the  United  States  were  to  gain  from  it? 
Well,  uow,  briefly,  the  terms  of  the  treaty  were  these:  Anyone  could 
place  in  the  domestic  mails  that  were  to  be  exchanged  under  this  treaty, 
any  article  which  was  admitted  to  the  domestic  mails  of  either  coun- 
try. The  postal  rates  on  those  articles  were  to  be  paid  in  the  country 
of  origin,  and  the  rate  of  posta|j;e  tixed  in  the  country  of  origin.  That 
is  to  say,  each  country  was  to  have  absolute  control  of  all  the  postal 
revenues  so  collected;  and  there  were  to  be  no  postal  accounts  kept 
as  between  the  two  countries  on  such  matter.  This  convention  went 
into  eflfect  on  the  Ist  day  of  March — that  is,  the  present  month — of  this 
year. 

About  that  time  many  observant  and  shrewd  business  men  of  this 
country,  knowing  that  the  postage  on  seeds,  bulbs,  cuttings,  etc.,  in  thia 


■Aiiaa 


conntry  was  10  cents  a  pcnml,  while  in  Canada  It  wos  hut  4  cents  a 
pound,  when  it  Wiis  ascertaint'd  that  this  treaty  was  koIiik  into  eflfi'ct, 
I  am  credibly  inrormed,  there  were  gathered  on  the  Canadian  bor- 
ders a  large  amount  of  seetls,  plants,  bulbs,  etc.,  whlcl.  were  promptly 
mailed  in  the  Canadian  |}<).it-(>ffices,  the  postajje  paid,  and  the  revenues 
went  into  the  Canadian  (Jovi^rninent,  while  the  I'nited  States  simply 
furnished  thctrains  for  their  transportation  through  the  United  States, 
thas  furnishing;  transportation  and  delivering  them  all  over  this  country, 
wherever  directed,  for  nothing;. 

The  postal  revenues  were  paid  in  Car>ada,  and  belonged  to  Canada, 
while  the  Uuite<l  States  were  to  carry  these  things  under  the  terms  of 
this  treaty,  for  nothing.  In  the  mean  time  the  developments  which 
might  he  expected  out  of  this  thitig,  .seemed  so  large,  that  the  Post-Office 
Department  began  to  look  into  the  matter,  for  there  wa.s  another  feat- 
ure which  removed  it  from  of  the  nature  of  a  postal  treaty  and  placed 
it  in  the  category  of  a  commercial  treaty  in  the  widest  sense;  and  of 
course  there  was  no  authority  in  the  postal  department  to  negotiate 
such  a  treaty. 

These  men  engaged  in  tliis  seed  business  issued  illustrated  catalogues 
ITiey  could  l)e  transmitted  to  Canada,  mailed  there  for  2  cents  each, 
and  then  sent  all  over  this  country  by  our  iH-nevolent  Government  for 
nothing.  Here  waa  an  opportunity  for  the  development  of  business  in- 
terests entirely  unexpected  by  the  Post-Oftice  Department  when  this 
treaty  was  entered  into.  And  not  only  this,  but  it  brought  about  a  loss 
of  postal  revenue  here.  While  in  this  order  of  the  Postniaster-Oencral 
they  are  stopped  from  shipping  through  Canada,  there  remains  this  com- 
mercial right  of  going  into  Canada,  employing  there  the  printers,  buy- 
ing their  paper  in  Canada,  and  employing  Canadian  labor,  which  is 
cheaper  than  American,  in  the  printing,  the  binding,  and  illustrating 
of  their  catalogues,  and  in  putting  them  in  packets  and  mailing  them. 
And  we  lose  not  only  the  postiil  revenues,  but  we  lose  the  entire  busi- 
ness of  preparing  all  that  amount  of  advertising  matter. 

Now  let  me  follow  this  with  a  littlecomputationthat  we  may  seethe 
practical  eflfect  of  this  Canadian  treaty.  Therearealready  someone  hun- 
dred and  forty  seedsmen  now  mailing  from  Canada,  and  it  ia  fair  to 
aesnme  there  are  at  least  twenty  enterprising  seedsmen  in  onr  own 
OOOUtry  near  enough  to  the  border  to  establish  branches  in  Canada  who 


8 


will  take  immediate  advantoKu  of  this  treaty— •oiue  have  already 

doue  80. 

I  happen  to  have  convenit-ntlyat  hand  the  shipintut  made  on  Fri- 
day, Murch  16,  by  a  fairly  representative  house,  and  the  figures  are  ac- 
cumte: 

Mhipppd  l>y  iiinil,  i.HM  poiinda  *e«l8.  bulb*,  etc. 
Shipped  by  m«ll,  1,IU)  cataloKurx. 

Now.  8upposin>?  these  one  hundred  and  sixty  8ee<lsmen — to  mention 

no  more — ship  an  equal  amount,  and  we  hwe,  for  each  day: 

Daily  ithipnient  by  mail.  tKM.MSO  pound*  need*,  bulbs,  eto. 
Daily  nlilpiiieiu  by  luail,  I(1I),UIK)  cutHloKiii's. 

Which,  at  our  rated'  IWciuts  per  pound  lor  the  seeds  and  4  fen t«  each 
for  the  civtalogues,  would  aHKnJ^i'fe  flH,;i2(I.M0  daily,  and  if  the  ship- 
ment averaged  three  months  or  ninety  days  in  a  year,  would  amount  to 
the  considerable  sum  of  $l(»,ti:5!».872,  or  if  the  jxistage  should  he  redncetl 
to  4  cents  per  pound,  $-J.(i.')9,!l(W.  Tims  we  approach  in  a  business  way 
the  "efltct  on  the  revenues."  The  i>rincipal  elTict  being  to  tnm  over 
to  the  Canmlian  Government  .something  like  two  or  three  millions  of 
revenue,  throw  into  the  hands  of  tlie  Ciinadian  printers  much  of  the  vast 
advertising  business  of  the  large  patent-medicine  men  of  this  country, 
with  all  the  indirect  benefits  and  profits  which  follow  in  the  lead  of 
these  gieat  enterprises.  But  not  only  that,  there  i.s  this  advantage  to 
those  seedsmen  who  avail  themselves  of  the  termsof  this  treaty.  There 
is  the  diiiadvaDtage  of  the  ditVerence  lietween  4  cents  and  10  cents  to 
those  seedsmen  who  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  situated  so  far  from  the 
froutier  that  the  cost  of  transportation  and  the  establ  ishment  of  a  branch 
house  on  the  other  side  of  the  border,  would  be  an  insurmountable  ob- 
stacle. 

Let  me  illustrate,  to  show  how  this  treaty  operates  to  the  disadvan- 
tage of  Americans  and  the  advantage  of  Canadians.  If  I  can  give  a 
practical  illustration  on  this  point,  what  I  mean  will  be  recognized  bet- 
ter by  those  who  honor  me  with  their  attention.  It  is  a  matter  of  fact 
that  nearly  all  the  garden  peiis  sold  in  this  country  are  raised  in  Can- 
ada. The  United  States  dnty  is  only  10  cents  a  bushel,  simply  nothing. 
The  Canadian  seedsman  charges  his  customer,  wherever  he  may  be,  20 
cents  a  quart  for  those  peas.  A  <{nart  is  figured  out  iis  being  e<iuiva- 
lent  to  2  pounds.  He  pays  8  cents  postage;  he  delivers  those  peas,  I 
will  say,  to  my  friend  from  New  York  [Mr.  Cox],  who  does  me  the 


9 


honor  to  listen.  That  makei  28  centM.  Hut  >he  American  seedHmau 
alao  charKOH  20  centx  a  quart,  and,  under  the  terniH  of  our  poHtal 
arrangenientit,  pays  16  cents  a  pound.  On  2  pouudii  that  is  32  cents. 
Re  wants  to  sell  to  my  friend  from  New  York  [Mr.  Cox],  who,  as  a 
shrewd  mun,  will  not  pay  r>2  ceuU  when  he  can  i^et  the  Hnuic  article  at 
2N  centM.  That  gives  the  Canadian  (government  24  cents  advantage  on 
every  quart. 

Now,  sir,  I  do  not  understand  what  this  can  mean.  Why  this  con* 
'  tinual  deference  on  the  part  of  our  Adniinistration  to  the  English  Gov- 
ernment V  It  can  not  l>e  that  they  intend  to  deliver  this  people  over, 
bound  hand  and  foot,  to  that  Government;  especially  after  ha\iug 
started  out  with  that  hlaze  of  red  light  and  that  tizz  of  pin-wheels  as 
the  curtain  uro.se  upon  what  we  were  led  to  helieve  \vum  to  he  u  real 
drama  of  "  .Jacksoni.-jn  simplicity"  and  n  true  '  business"  adminis- 
tration. [LiiU){hter.]  Why,  sir,  I  am  afraid  if  we  had  one  more  ses- 
sion of  an  English  tnmniission  in  this  city,  we  should  tind  the  membei's 
of  this  Admiui»<trution  ahuudoiiing  their  simple  Americuu  huhits,  and 
da'ihingdown  the  avenue  in  English  drugs  l>ehiad  hang-tailed  thorough- 
breds, or  walking  about  in  our  streets  with  orchid  blossoms  in  their 
button-holes  and  their  trousers  turned  up  at  the  bottoms  as  if  they 
were  just  ofl'  Tall  Mall,  Loudon,  or  sporting  huge  ca..es  and  bull  ter- 
riers.    [Laughter.] 

Bat,  Mr.  S{ieuker,  this  is  only  a  fanoifnl  sketch,  and  we  do  not,  of 
course,  expect  to  see  anything  of  the  kind. 

I  am  afraid,  sir,  that  I  have  taken  more  time  than  I  ought,  for  I  have 
promised  time  to  others,  but  what  1  w.HUted  to  emphasize  is  the  fact 
that  under  any  construction  which  you  can  put  upon  this  postal  treaty 
with  Canada,  it  places  our  American  seedsmen  nt  a  disadvantage  com- 
pared with  the  .seedsmen  in  that  country — a  disadvantage  which,  uuder 
the  pre.sent  condition  of  things,  can  not  be  stated  in  actual  tignres.  And 
more  than  that,  it  opens  the  field  to  the  great  advertisers,  the  patent- 
mcdicine  men,  the  dealers  in  articles  that  are  widely  advertised  in  cook- 
books, in  calendars,  in  books  of  games,  and  various  things  which  are 
used  in  ad^-ertising.  If  tht.  owners  of  those  enterprises  can  not  have 
their  books  printed  here,  then,  under  the  terms  of  this  treaty,  they  can 
have  it  done  in  Canada  and  mail  them  from  theve  at  a  saving  of  one- 
half  the  postage.     The  editions  of  works  of  that  kind  are  simply  enor- 


10 


mons,  and  these  men  can  ^o  into  Canada  and  have  the  work  done  there 
and  give  the  Canadians  the  lar^e  prutits  wiiich  arc  made  upon  sach 
work,  and  also  the  inuidental  profite  which  always  follow  in  the  train 
of  those  enterprises.  They  can  do  that,  and  there  is  no  way  to  help  it, 
except  under  the  terms  of  the  treaty  itself  our  Government  can  have  it 
abrogated  after  giving  six  months'  notice.  There  is  no  other  remedy 
unless  this  Government,  in  a  spirit  of  fairness  to  its  own  citizens,  will 
come  into  Congress  with  a  bill  to  arrange  postal  rates  which  will  pat 
our  people  on  a  par  with  their  competitors  on  the  other  side  of  the  lino, 
line,  instead  of  leaving  them  in  the  position  in  which  the  Department — 
no  doubt  unwittingly — has  placed  them  by  this  treaty. 

Mr.  LONG.     You  think  they  did  not  know  any  better? 

Mr.  ALLEN,  of  Iilassachusetts.  I  have  no  doubt  that  it  has  been 
done  unwittingly,  but  these  are  the  facts  as  I  see  them. 

Mr.  HATCH.     Will  the  gentleman  permit  a  question? 

Mr.  ALLEN,  of  Maasachusetts.     Certainly. 

Mr.  HATCH.  Is  there  not  a  bill  reported  from  the  Committee  en  the 
Post-Office  and  Post- Roads,  and  on  the  Calendar,  providing  tor  this  re- 
duction ? 

Mr.  ALLEN,  of  Massachusetts.  There  isa  bill  on  the  Calendar  which 
provides  for  a  reduction.  Then  there  is  a  minority  report  accompa- 
nying that  bill,  which  recommends  a  still  further  reduction  to  a  rate 
which  would  be  probably  fair  and  reasonable. 

Mr.  HATCH.  But  there  is  a  bill  pending  that  will  give  the  House 
jurisdiction  over  the  subject-matter,  and  upon  which  we  can  act? 

Mr.  ALLEN,  of  Massachusetts.     I  think  there  is. 

Mr.  BOUTELLE.  And  we  are  getting  a  little  information  now, 
which  will  enable  us  to  act  intelligently. 

Mr.  ALLEN,  of  Massachusetts.  Now,  let  me  go  back  to  the  question 
suggested  by  the  gentleman  from  Tennessee  [Mr.  Enlok].  He  claims 
that  there  is  relief  for  all  this  in  the  treaty  itself,  and  he  quotes  article 
4,  which  states  that  in  ca.se  any  correspondence  is  tendered  for  mailing 
in  either  country,  obviously  with  the  intent  of  evading  the  higher  post- 
age rate  applicable  to  it  in  the  other  country,  it  shall  be  refused  unless 
payment  is  made  of  such  higher  rate.  Now,  I  want  to  dwell  on  this 
point  only  for  a  moment,  because  I  think  the  gentleman  answered  his 
own  argument  in  reading  from  the  treaties.     If  his  reading  meant  any- 


11 

thing  at  all,  it  meant  tbat  there  was  difficulty  in  detTniining  what  was 
included  under  the  term  "correspondence"  unless  the  articles  were 
specified,  and  in  each  of  the  treaties  that  he  read,  it  was  specified  what 
were  to  be  covered  by  the  word  ' '  correspondence. ' '  Now,  Mr.  Speaker, 
the  only  thing  for  the  House  to  do  is  to  pass  this  resolution,  ignoring 
the  report  of  the  majority  of  the  committee,  and  thus  giving  the  De- 
partment an  opportunity  to  come  in  and  put  its  own  construction  on 
this  treaty,  in  order  that  the  committee  and  the  House  may  know  just 
what  the  Department's  constrnclion  is,  and  may  be  enabled  to  enact 
such  legislation  as  will  correct  the  evils  arising  under  it. 

It  is  the  only  fair  thing  to  do,  and  it  will  cend  to  relieve  the  Admin- 
tetration  of  the  charges,  continually  made,  of  a  small,  stingy,  cheese- 
paring policy,  which  saves  at  the  spigot  while  it  lets  waste  run  loose 
at  the  bung. 

Mr.  PERKINS.  As  I  understand  the  gentleman,  he  holds  that  the 
effect  of  this  arrangement  is  to  give  the  revenue  to  the  Canadian  post- 
office  department  while  it  imposes  the  labor  upon  our  own  mail  serv- 


Mr.  ALLEN,  of  Massachusetts.  There  is  not  the  slightest  doubt 
about  that,  because  it  is  expressly  provided  that  the  postage  shall  be 
paid  and  collected  where  the  rantter  is  mailed. 

Mr.  PERKINS.  And  that  revenue  amounts  to  about  two  million 
dollars. 

Mr.  ALLEN,  of  Mas,  achusetts.     At  least. 

Mr.  LONG.  Is  my  colleague  satisfied  that  the  term  "correspond- 
ence'' would  not  i  elude  seeds,  bulbs,  and  plants? 

Mr.  ALLEN,  of  Massachusetts.  I  am  willing  to  take  the  construc- 
tion of  the  gentleman  fiom  Tennessee  [Mr.  Exloe].  In  those  treaties 
which  he  quoted  the  term  "correspondence"  is  construed  to  cover  cer- 
tain things  which  are  specified  by  name,  so  that  there  may  be  no  mis- 
take. 

Mr,  EXLOE.  The  gentleman  will  find  in  Paragraph  A,  article  1,  an 
enumeration  of  what  may  be  embraced  under  the  term  "correspond- 
ence" as  used  in  that  treaty.  I  refer  lue  gentleman  to  that  provision. 
If  he  will  read  it,  I  will  let  him  do  so  as  an  answer  to  himself;  if  not, 
I  will  ask  to  read  it 


13 

Mr.  ALLEN,  of  Massachusetts.  The  gentleman  from  Tennessee  can 
have  it  read  at  the  desk. 

Mr.  ENLOE.     I  will  read  it  myself. 

Mr.  ALLEN,  of  Mas-sachusetts.  Not  in  my  time.  Mr.  Speaker,  I 
reserve  the  balance  of  iuy  time. 

Mr.  ENLOE.  1  will  occupy  only  time  enough  to  read  from  the  ar- 
ticle to  which  I  have  just  referred.     It  provides  that— 

Articles  of  every  kind  or  nature  admitted  to  the  domestic  mails  of  either 
country,  exi«pt  as  herein  prohibited,  shall  be  admitted  to  the  mails  exihanged 
under  this  convention,  subject,  however,  to  such  regulations  a.s  the  postal  ad- 
minisl-ation  of  the  country'  of  deMtination  may  deem  necessary  to  protect  its 
customs  revenues. 

As  an  answer  to  the  gentleman  from  Massachusetts,  1  call  attention 
to  this  provision  .showing  what  is  embraced  under  the  term  "corre- 
spondence "  in  this  treaty. 

*  ♦*•»»* 

M' .  ALLEN,  of  Ma,ssachusett8.  I  simply  want  to  say  that  the  ques- 
tion of  the  passage  of  this  resolution  is  so  interwoven  with  the  question 
of  cheap  agricultural  postage,  that  the  people  will  find  it  difficult  to  sep- 
arate tne  two.  I  want,  in  a  word,  to  warn  the  House  to  make  no  mip  ■ 
take  in  voting  on  this  question,  lest  the  farmers,  who  are  so  profoundly 
interested,  shall  misconstrue  its  action. 

And  I  also  desire  to  say,  in  conclusion,  that  even  if  the  term  "cor- 
respondence" comprehends  seeds,  bulbs,  plants,  and  cuttings,  as  my 
friend  from  Tenne.ssee  [Mr.  Enloe]  seems  to  think  it  does,  still  it  does 
not  affect  my  proposition,  because  under  the  terms  of  the  treaty  branch 
houses  can  be  established  in  Canada,  and  this  discrimination  against 
American  merchants  can  be  legitimately  carried  on  in  this  way. 

I  now  yield  fifteen  minutes  to  the  gentleman  from  New  York  (Mr. 
White.] 


A 


